Antidesma is a variable genus which may be short and shrubby or tall and erect, approaching 30 metres in height. It has large oval shaped leathery evergreen leaves up to about 20 centimetres long and seven wide. The flowers have a strong, somewhat unpleasant scent. The staminate flowers are arranged in small bunches and the pistillate flowers grow on long racemes which will become the long strands of fruit. The fruits are spherical and just under a centimetre wide, hanging singly or paired in long, heavy bunches. They are white when immature and gradually turn red, then black. When they are still white they have sour and astringent taste, sour taste when they are red and have sweet and sour taste when they are black.

Antidesma venosum is a beautiful shrub or small tree. It has oblong to elliptic, leathery leaves on which the veins are sunken above and prominent below with hairs on the veins on both surfaces. The yellow, scented flowers are borne on long catkin-like spikes, up to 8 cm long. It bears small edible fleshy berries that are red to purple-black when ripe, on pendulous spikes. Traditionally the leaves and roots of this plant are used, in conjunction with others, to break the spell of a jealous woman in a supernatural way. The roots are also used in washes to ease body pain. In east Africa a medicinal decoction of the leaves, twigs and roots are ingested for stomach ache. It is also reported that the leaves contain an alkaloid.